Up for the job
by Chantale23
Summary: I never felt Ruth had the recognition she really deserved. So here's a little something that came to my mind about Ruth's job and Harry's desire to celebrate. Rate T for innuendos.


It bothers me that Ruth never got true recognition for her work. I know she got the promotion with the HS… sitting outside his office, I thought she rather look like the assistant to his secretary than his special advisor on Security matters. Shouldn't she have had her own office instead of sitting almost in the middle of the entrance way by… by the way, the woman at the next desk, was that her PA or the HS secretary… The serie keep saying she was the best and yet I feel I rarely saw signs she was recognize as such.

Hope you enjoy and review for me. Thank you

**Up for the job!**

"Sir Harry. Please do tell me if I'm keep you from something more important than the meeting of all MI-5 Section Head's meeting." Towers was watching the head of Section D, checking his phone.

"No, Home Secretary. Just a piece of information I was waiting for."

"Like I haven't heard that one before." The HS mumbles before getting back to the meeting. "Gentleman, where were we."

Ruth answers looking at her notes. "You were mentioning new budget cuts needed, 8 to 9%, throughout the security services."

"Yes… Any suggestions?"

Harry was the first one to speak. "Honestly, the only way I could save money within my section would be to fire someone and I'm understaffed at it is…"

All the other participants nodded their heads, saying they were in similar situation.

Head of Section E took the ball rolling. "I'm sorry Home Secretary, there is just no fat left to cut in. Actually, we're hitting the bone as we speak. Do you really want me to explain to the family of agents that they died because budget cuts couldn't provide them with back up."

Head of Section A, picked up the ball and kept it rolling. "As it is, Sir, my agents have been taking cuts for years… it is getting harder to recruit new agents now. They get a better salary in the private sector. We use to get the best and the brightest, now we're starting to get what's left after the private sector did their picking."

Head of Section C "Sir, our employees have had almost no raises in the last 6 years, not even close to the living conditions increase, they have seen their benefits slashed, this is getting very hard not only to recruit, but to keep employees. As soon as they have 4 or 5 years under their belt, they leave for companies who offer them a better salary, full benefits and none of the 16 or 18 hours days."

"So what's the solution?" Towers already knew all that had been said around the table. He just couldn't see a way out of it.

He heard Ruth clearing her voice from beside him.

"I have a…"

She didn't have time to complete her sentence that the DG interrupted, but he didn't have time. Ruth could be hesitant and shy, but not at her work.

"Sorry, I was talking… Gentlemen, how many of you have threat assessment reports?"

Six hands went up including the Home Secretary.

"Very well. How many of you have analysts." Every single men around the table raised their hands. They all looked at her like she was wasting their time, having no ideas where she was going.

"So what we are basically seeing is all sections basically doing the same work."

"Obviously!" The DG answered, he was still a little peeved about her not letting him speak.

"About an Analytical Intelligence Section." Now all eyes were on her… very interested eyes.

Ruth had their attention now. The rest would be easy. "All sections of MI-5 have analysts within their team, should I say 2 or 3… per sections. Then 6 have even more on their side. Add a few more for the Home Secretary's and the DG's office. All these analysts are basically analysing the same information… if Section C gets information, it usually stays with section C."

Heads were nodding all around the table. So far, her statements were obvious but these men needed a bit of time to process information, they were not analysts. She had made sure to remember that in her proposal.

"If we were to create another section, one independent section, answering only to the Home Secretary. They would have the best analysts of all sections and between them they would be more efficient as they could dig deeper into the information instead of basically doing all the same work for each section. The gathering of information would be centralized and available to all of 5 and 6."

Towers looked at her with total surprise on his face while Harry's showed an immeasurable amount of pride. That was his Ruth in action. She was the best. She had analysed and found a solution.

Ruth looking through papers added: "According to my calculations, between 5, 6 and the other offices, 4 analysts are going into retirement in the next 12 months. With centralized information there would be no need to replace them. There's your biggest saving. Also… There are 6 requests for upgrading equipment; as a section, we'd only need one larger piece of equipment for all datas and storing information."

The Home Secretary looked at her. "I see you've given this serious consideration, Miss Evershed."

Ruth was all smile now. "Yes Sir." She stood up, went to a desk on the side of the conference table and started passing around thick piles of paper. " I have made a preliminary report Sir. With this plan, you would save about 11% the first year, 10% the second year and at least the same the following year."

#######

"Stop it Harry."

"What Ruth… stop what?"

"You're staring at me." She whispers.

They were alone in the Home Secretary's office waiting for Towers to show up, which he does just as Harry is going to answer her.

"So Harry. What's new in the wonderful world of spies?"

"Not much Home Secretary."

"The reason I had both of you called for a meeting is that I want to move Ruth into another job."

"Why?" Ruth has disappointment written all over her face while Harry is feeling rather happy, he might get Ruth back with him… but he's not letting it show, she might not appreciate it and the HS might see it as a reason to transfer her somewhere else."

"Actually, Ruth, you only have yourself to blame. The presentation you just did was brilliant. It solves the ever coming budget cuts problem for at least three years possibly up to five and I really like the idea of centralizing information for all to use. I don't know why no one has thought of that before." Towers takes a sip of water and looks at her.

Ruth's eyes widened. "You want me to work within that section, Sir. Before I accept can I explain some of the things I had in mind for the new section as you haven't had the time to read the whole report?"

Ruth wanted to make sure the plan would go through… she had to sell lit and sell it now. She starts talking, her voice getting more passionate as she speaks.

"There is a need to have someone in the section… that's why each section has analysts now. They need someone who can answer right away in time of crisis, who can react on the spot and who can feel the pulse of the team. But it works with my plan, If an emergency situation should appear, the analyst on call would go to the section in need of them, but if you think about it, they wouldn't be coming on their own… they would be coming with the whole of the Section through their phones and laptops. One analyst for a briefing would be coming with the work of all the analysts in the section. They could be in the thick of the action with all the other analysts in the background. They could split the work remotely."

Ruth's eyes light up again. Her enthusiasm for the idea was obvious. "and if one section has a major crisis then we can send them two or three analysts… that would cut the time to gather information by at least half… by even more… because these analysts would know how to work together, knowing how each other think… they could be sound board for one another.. As they would interact with all sections for briefing meetings they would be a known value to field agent. We could even name a primary analyst for each section making them gel with the team a little more."

Harry thought she had rarely looked more beautiful than at this moment completely in her element.

Ruth just kept going. "I mean… sorry sir… but we analyst are a weird breed. Put a bunch of us together and we over do one another. We sniff intel miles away and race to find the connection first." She pauses to take a deep breath. "I don't want to insult anyone, but you know… field agent… sometimes… they are a bit slow getting on the band wagon." Ruth blushes. "It's not a blame, merely an observation. It would take me half the time to explain something to another analyst then it would take to explain an agent. It's the same with the techs… it's must faster when talking to someone with the same expertise. It allows for short cuts." She pauses again before continuing.

"Now imagine a bunch of analyst working together… On our own we fade with the wall paper. Together, my God, it's information party time." She ended her sentence with the most beautiful smile and stars in her eyes, distracting both men in the room.

Harry couldn't keep himself from thinking. _Amazing how she has no idea how beautiful she is._

"Harry, I believe she likes the idea." Towers was chuckling. He came back to his original topic of conversation. "Honestly, you're talent is wasted in my office. Too political and very little analysis. You're the best analysis we've ever had… that's according to Harry… a given might I say… but other sources I've checked with agree…" Towers looked at Ruth making sure he had her complete attention. "I don't want you to work in the new Intelligence Analysis Section. I want you to run it, Ruth."

She's shocked, speechless, bamboozled… "But Sir…"

Harry interrupts. "She would be perfect for the job. Even though it's limited, she has field experience, which is not a necessity for the job but useful in knowing how agents work and how the information is needed. She has years of experience on the Grid as an analyst… she's the best I've ever worked with, she's perfect in every way."

Towers is thinking along the same lines. "6 has been trying to steal her for years, the other sections wanted to, but they knew they'd had to contend with you Harry so they never dare. In the end, they all trust her and her abilities. If someone can pull it off it's her. She's the only one trusted by all… MI 5, 6 and me."

#########

"Harry, can you imagine. No more Whitehall for me." They were on their way back to Thames House. Ruth was talking animatedly, her hands waving through the air. "I can see it Harry… it would be so cool. Imagine a bunch of analysts in the same room. It would be really…."

She leaned over and kissed his cheek in her excitement. "And we'd keep on working together. We are a good team, on and off the Grid."

He kissed her cheek, his mouth moving over to her ear whispering. "Off the Grid we are pretty fabulous. My body is still humming from last night. You were amazing."

She blushed, her face taking a nice hue of red. "Shhh! The driver might hear us." Her blush was getting darker.

"I believe the neighbour might have heard you last night." Her cheeks coloured even more. He touched them with the back of his hand… yep they were hot to the touch. It still amazed him she could blush that much while being this unbelievable sex kitten. Harry smiled at the thought, not in a million year had he thought of her that way before… but the term fitted the purring so well.

"Oh my God… I'll died of embarrassment, I could never face them… tell me I wasn't that loud." She put her hand over her eyes. He takes her hand in his and lowers them to his lap. "Don't worry, only little moans escape from my kisses."

"Stop it Harry… I can't deal with you now. I don't know if I'm coming or going… I want to think about my new job and yet my brain is stuck on…"

"Yes Ruth… stuck on what." Harry closes the distance between them and starts tugging on her ear lobes with his lips.

"You know…" She was definitely distracted… very distracted.

"Say it…" Harry whispers seductively. She shivers.

"No I'm not." Ruth was trying to resist his assault and didn't see any chance of her winning.

"I dare you Ruth." He bends his head and kisses her neck, licking his way along the line of her jaw.

"It won't work Harry… I'm not going to say it… Not here… not now..." Her mind was blank and her body was warming up. How could he do this… so easily? He could make her lose her mind under a minute.

"I double dare you." Nothing had ever sounded sexier than this childish phrase. She tried to push him off.

"Shoo… shoo… go away will you… take this… this… bedroom Harry with you… and send back boss Harry."

Harry wrapped his arms around her shoulders; he gently turned her face towards him with a finger.

"I'm sorry my love, I believe that bedroom Harry has him cuffed and bound in an unknown location. It seems your boss has been taken captive."

"What are the ransom demands?" She asks giving up trying to ignore the effect of his lips on her neck.

"Total and complete surrender. Unequivocal capitulation. Undeniable compliance." Each word said with great deliberation, in a whispering honeyed voice that Ruth had heard only in the confined of their bedroom.

_This man will be the end of me_. Ruth is failing at resisting Harry's tantalizing words and arousing hands.

"It's almost lunch time, Ruth. Let's take a break for a couple of hours and do something worthy of your brilliance. You were amazing this morning; you had all those men eating in the palm of your hand." His lips are kissing the rapidly beating pulse on her neck. He knows he's got her.

"If I was a jealous man, I would have tell each and every one of them you're mine."

Ruth giggles… "Oh… Foolish me, I thought that's what the glare was."

Harry pulls his head away from her to look into her eyes… "Hum… you noticed that?"

"Yes I did. I knew you would. There's no if about your jealousy… you're just very subtle about it."

"You know me too well." Harry puts his ultimate goal back on the forefront of his mind… and his lips back on her neck and shoulders, while whispering to her between words.

"Face it, you're the best and you've just received the recognition you should have gotten years ago. Sweetheart, I want to celebrate your promotion."

"I know when to give up Harry. Let's celebrate."

"Mike…"

"Yes Sir?"

"Home, please."


End file.
